FRIENDSHIP SUCCUMBS AS POLITICS TAKES THE CENTRESTAGE

ARISTOTLE ONCE said, “Friendship is a single soul dwelling in two bodies”. But when it comes to politics everything takes a U-turn. At least this is what the Indian politicians are all about. There is no room for friendship in politics, as a matter of fact, party leaders or parties which appear as friends today may turn foes in no time. It’s all about the numbers and calculations to secure the future prospects. The latest surprise which the, yet to be, 15th Lok Sabha elections have offered is just the same. The king of ‘make or break’ politics, Lalu Prasad Yadav has done it again. The ruthless hand dealt by Lalu, by announcing a poll-pact with Ramvilas Paswan’s Lok Jana Shakti Party and giving a jolt to the Congress’ expectations of having a larger share in Bihar. The self proclaimed, “friend” of the grand old party has stunned them by offering just 3 seats to fight --- which a less than the previous share and too at a time when the Congress party was considering a greater chances defending its chances. In retaliation Congress has also moved ahead with a pact with Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) without prior notification to Lalu. But this is not all; there are other instances which depict that friendship and loyalty of a party has succumbed to the political pressure and bargain to gain a larger share in the elections and champion their cause of vote share. Recently, Naveen Patnaik of Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has done the same by calling-off a 12-year-old alliance with the NDA in Orissa. He has decided to go it alone in the coming elections. The reason behind this face-off is the widely perceived as doubts about the NDA’s prospects in the next general elections. Also, Naveen Patnaik wants to widen his options for post-poll alliance. With the D-day heading nearer, all the political parties have folded up their sleeves to take on others as well as any opportunity coming their way to place themselves on-board. These two are not alone in their quest for a new shelter and make the most of now. They have found a partner in the NCP chief, Sharad Pawar, who is eyeing the prime minister’s seat if the two major alliances fail to secure a considerable number of seats. His hope lies in the dilly-dallying Third Front. The Maratha strongman has already announced that it is Maharashtra’s turn to serve the country and leading the top job. He is one man who has friends in every nook and corner of the political spectrum and he knows how to use them in the best possible manner and at the right time. He has hinted at a possible break-up with the UPA by visiting the Sena chief and withdrawing a case filed against him by his partymen. Apart from these, the Samajawadi Party -- famous for their pendulum like character of switching sides, is another case of friend who can turn foes anytime.With Amar Singh supporting the Maratha for the top job it is quite predictable that the Congress is skeptical about any pre-poll and post-poll alliance with it. However, the Indian polity heaved a sigh of relief as Mayawati refused to join any front. Her declaration to face the elections alone has placed some belief in the principals of politics. She has become the savior of people’s belief in the downtrodden leading the political scenario in India.All these uncalled events have left the parent party in a state of tizzy and dilemma. Now every single party is suspicious of the other members. The result is that none of the parties is willing to disclose their strategy till the last minute, making the situation more difficult and unfriendly for the candidates. This is just the beginning. With less than a month left to go for the biggest democratic exercise on Mother Earth, a lot more drama is about to take place, withering the people’s faith and belief in a democratic set-up.

The era of coalition politics....

Tupsy-turvy era of coalition politics. The era of coalition in Indian politics is now a decade old, but we are yet to see any fruitful benefits out of it. The main reason behind the formation of two blocks in Indian political system has always been a compulsion to prohibit the other from joining the power centre. Both the blocks, namely the NDA and the UPA,which was inspired by the formation and structure of the NDA i.e. one major national party at the helm and several regional parties participating, started allying with regional parties not by choice or because of their similar ideologies but because of the post poll compulsion of 1998 general election. Thus, the basis of coalition has never been the national interest but the self interest the political parties to defeat the other and secure the north block. The dawn of the coalition era dates back to 1998 when after repeated attempts the BJP, led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, failed to offer a stable government. It was then that the political honchos in BJP’s central committee arrived to a conclusion of allying with the regional players to get closer to the magical number required to form the government at the centre. The announcement of the National Democratic Alliance in May 1998 signalled the first step in the building of the coalition, which formed the Government in 1998, but collapsed within a year due to the AIADMK pulling out. But it moved ahead to win the next elections held in 1999, with a greater majority and new alliances. The formation of the NDA-government led to an internal debate in the congressional brass. It was widely felt that on the lines of NDA the congress and the non-allied parties should form another block to counter it, as it was almost impossible to form a government single handedly. After the elections it was quite clear that the ruling NDA is far behind the required number and this opportunity led to the formation of UPA (united progressive alliance) soon after the 2004 general elections. The UPA's policies were initially guided by a common minimum programme that the alliance hammered out with fruitful consultations with Jyoti Basu and Harkishan Singh Surjeet of the 59 member Left front. Hence, government policies were generally perceived as center-left, reflecting the centrist policies of the INC and the Left. Despite having a common minimum programme allied parties always targeted the congress party for some or the other reason. But just after the UPA sealed the Indo-US nuke deal, the left parties withdrew their support and kicked the government on the verge of collapse. However, at that time the Samajwadi Party saved the government during the no-confidence motion moved by the opposition against the UPA resulting in a completetion of the full term of the UPA government. At one point of time both these parties, INC and Samajwadi Party were foes and now they are friends which show the ideological differences among the two parties. However, in a political setup like the one we have its very difficult predict which party will corner itself with which party. In the recent time, after the dates for the 15th Lok Sabha elections were announced, all the major parties started to set up a front to project themselves as the leading contender for the top job, irrespective of their earlier rivalries. This election is quite different from the earlier ones. This time it’s a 3-way fight and not the traditional 2-way. The formation of the third front has led to the sleepless nights for both the major parties. Also, the unclear picture about the voter’s favorite party has increased the risk. Despite the shortcomings of the coalition governments, there is something good which we have sidelined. The more and more participation of the regional parties have put the regional issues on the central table, which otherwise would have been not treated sincerely. In his election, the effort of the parent party is to focus on the regional issues through the regional allies to maximize their gain. So, it would be wrong to say that the coalition era has been an all wrong political era but it has been a mixed bag with some compromises and some challenges. The Third front joining the fray has made the fight more interesting and forces the other parties to have a reality check on their previous work.

so a new day with a new flavour ... i m talking about the HOLY-DAY(NOT HOLIDAY). YES ITS SYNONYMOUS WITH HOLIAY AND SHOULD BE .. BECAUSE THE HOLY DAY IS NO LESS THAN A HOLIDAYY.. OK OK .. NO MORE CONFUSIONS . JUST HOLYDAY. we celebrate this day with alot o energy and mauj-masti... no boundations and no red tape. rght... i m always rght .. hehhehe holi is a festive of colours, different in their appeareance and characters but they come together ultimately to please us by loosing their original features and wearing a new face to give us joy and time to njoy the day... THIS FESTIVE GIVES US TIME TO LEARN AND PEEP INTO OUR LIFE IN A PARTICULAR WAY.. HOW.? we indians are like a happy family constituted by different people having their respective characters same as the colours have ... but at times we fght and quarrel among ourselves... and not to forget the, "English Gift of Division". We live together and share common objectives. we have a common history. then why cant we mix like the colours do........ we can but we lack the self-motivation , same as the colours dont get mix themselves but need an external help ( ours) to do so.....

journalism an illusion for many.......

hi every1 !!!! today i m not going to say anything abt issues today i"ll confine myself to the things related to me only...... seems boring but U have to bear me.... i m not going long back but just around 2 and a half years back.. so dont worry itwill get over soon.. i had paseed my senior secondary and i was just weighing my options to get a good course so that i can excel as well as enjoy reading..but i couidnt get to a conclusion then on the insistence of a few freinds i came to delhi and took admission in b. com through open learning as it gave me time to try some other things as well N as soon as i decide i"ll do the same simultaneously .. but i couldnt... then though afreind of mine i knew abt mass comm and journalis i decided to enroll... for 6-8 months things went smoothely ...and i find mine writing skills to be satisfactory if not good so i decided to move ahead.. i thought i m good and i"ll get a job.. without knowing that for job in media industry u dont need to good but ur contacts should be.... i was abit astonished to see that how a few coaching institutes and colleges are making money out of a childs future which is yet undecided.... i was fortunate that i got internship in a reputed organisation and i talked afew people there who encouraged me... i m thankful to them for their support ... now wat would i do now ..... i m happy now but will my happimess will last longer or ......... anyway i m confident that i"ll find something for me, sooner or later... as its too early for me but wat abt others ........ lets hope for the best ................ someday we will just need merits ant no cantacts ............ so coming to this field was an illusion for me and now when the shades are not more the picture is more khatarnakkkkkkk (extra k for good luck" Thanks for reading ..................

....OF SLUM DOGS AND MILLIONAIRES

Much has been already said and discussed about the west financed and India-born movie slumdogs millionaire. There is not much to talk about except the fact that, none of us really care about them. There are always two sides of any event- the one we agree with and the other we don’t want to. But that doesn’t mean that the other side is false. It’s the self that compel us to believe something, the way we want it. Same is the case with the controversy surrounding this movie. The slums of India can’t be denied and so are the dogs. In this time of recession and downturn, all of us are in search of some feel-good factor which Rahman, Resul, and Gulzaar Saab has provided. The have provided us with some time to forget the economic slowdown and be proud to be called an Indian. If we can celebrate their success and new found glory, which they deserve, its beyond understanding that why cant we celebrate the films success. Bringing home Oscar and taking India to world platform may be the feel-good side but the other side which has been debated since the movie started bagging awards after awards is definitely not the flip-flop side which we don’t want to agree with. Debating a topic is a good but treating it single handedly and making a foul of self is not a healthy practice at all. However, many intellectuals raised eyebrows over portraying India in slums and jhuggis. The movie is said to be a west outsourced slap to the Indians. They have continuously accused the movie of hampering the brand- India image and making a mockery of the upper class Indians. But do they form the real India. India resides in its culture, traditions and nowadays on the outskirts of metro cities in slums. About 25% of the 30 crore people living in cities, live in slums and if that was not enough a recent survey has placed India at the top of the most food starved nation in the world. These data somehow comply with portrayal of the story, if not completely. But by just making foolish statements about the film shows the intolerance of these people in digesting their incapability to make a film for an international audience. Except some filmmakers and script writers, it seems as if the Indian film industry is on a strike for the past 20-25 years. Thanks to the strikers, for not thinking of a script like this one otherwise the Indian Slumdog would have been a complete mess. There is a saying, “if you cannot heal a wound, don’t even rub it”. These people should understand that if they cannot help them and pull them out of their slums then don’t even make a mockery of them by repeatedly realizing them about their birthplace. No one wants to see pimple on their face and if theirs one they try to hide it from others by applying make-up and other vanities so that they appear as beautiful as ever. Same is the story with this movie. Indian film stars are on Hollywood trip and don’t want these slums portrayal to hit their imported connections. What would have happened if it would have been a Madhur Bhandarkar Film? Primarily, it would have never been selected for India’s official entry to the Oscars and secondary there would have been no hue and cry of this kind. Everyone would have been satisfied with this movie as bhandarkar’s flicks are a reality check and no fictions. We are a distinct creature; we love to se the reality on a 70 mm silver screen backed by digital surround sound but are reluctant to accept it in out of the air-conditioned multiplexes. Why blame the west to portray a poverty stricken India if we want to see it. This time around, our government has behaved more maturely by just congratulating the Oscar winners and not uttering a single word against the film. They realize the truth that the slum exists and in a more pathetic state than the film has shown. However, they are yet to take any step to sweep it off. They have announced a poll-stimulus package of 30,000 crore to the tax payers and not a penny for the slum dwellers. Kalavati’s (Vidarbha) life completely changed after Rahul Gandhi mentioned her name in parliament, but what about the hundreds of Kalavati residing in these slums. Our government is yet to see what the west has repeatedly joked about. After all who wants to ponder his head in these slums if just speeches and lectures do the work? This movie should be a learning experience for those who have always basked in their palatial bungalow and king sized life and criticized the film. For many years, in our films, we have showed the western culture a taboo and against our ethics and values. Now it’s pay back time. The only way out to reply to them in a more meaningful manner is to lift the slum dwellers out of their closet and let them lift their pathetic living standard so that no other Slumdog Millionaire is made and we gat a controversy free Oscar.